Built in 1968, this two-story apartment complex sits on just over an acre of property and has a classic mid century Polynesian roofline. The only visible tiki appears to be in the front and is quite likely one of the long-tongued Oceanic Arts fiberglass six foot tikis that you can still purchase today.

This thinly veiled speakeasy tiki bar was located within the Pagoda Chinese Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida.

The restaurant had been open since 1975, but the newer edition of the Secret Tiki Temple came about in 2017 or so.

The exterior sign highlighted that there was a tiki lounge and the murals on the exterior showed frolicking pandas as well as tikis.

Inside, the space was exclusively a Chinese style restaurant until you reached the hidden lounge of the Secret Tiki Temple.

Once inside the temple, the interior was richly layered and had tikis, Elvis paintings, fish floats, fish traps, colored mood lighting and basically everything you would expect from a vintage style tiki bar.

Closed April 26th, 2024.

This huge A-Frame store carried all sorts of exotic goods, including gifts, sportswear, and gourmet food from all over the globe. Appears to have been built circa 1958 or so.

It had barefoot footprints leading up the concrete walk to the front door, a statue of the trader himself on the roofline below the peak of the A-frame, and in the front was a large Moai head with a lit torch at the top.

Mentioned in the book, Tiki Pop, by Sven Kirsten -- page 102 -- as having multiple locations but this one appears to be the most recognized. One other location was in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Copy from one of their ads:

"Seeing is believing! But when you step into the Polynesian Paradise you won’t believe your eyes. You’ll find a treasure of gifts, food delicacies and sportswear that have been collected from the wide, wide world all set in exotic design.

The store is sectionalized according to the country of origin of the merchandise. From Norway, Sweden and Denmark come striking examples of modern Scandinavian. The continental flavor of Belgium, Holland, France and Germany is found in the gift selections from Europe. Who can resist the incomparable results of British industry or the artistry from the shores of the sun-drenched Mediterranean, South America, South Sea Isles, Oriental art, or the United States?

Outside the building is a playground with swings and acrobatic accoutrements to keep youngsters occupied while parents explore the store. Children, however are invited inside. Inside the Polynesian theme is carried out. Palm trees and fronds adorn the walls, while fixtures reinforce the South Seas decor. Self-service is invited—or if you wish service, you need only to call on any of the clerks who answer all questions. Be sure and don’t leave the Cape until you have visited the Barefoot Trader."

Today, the A-frame building still exists, but it is currently home to the Cape Abilities Thrift Shop.

This tiki bar was opened by musicians Aaron Thomas Robinson and Brittany Graeff in Oaxaca, Mexico.

From their website:

"Maroon yourself in Oaxaca's first and only tiki bar. Tropical drinks, calypso music, birds chirping, waves lapping upon the shore. Sail away in a canoe for two or hunker down over a scorpion bowl in the tiki hut. Behind the imposing adobe walls of this early 18th century historical home hides an otherworldly oasis. The drinks are heady, mysterious concoctions; flaming bowls of light and dark rums, indigenous fruits, fresh juices, and secret tinctures that will quench the thirst of any pirate or scurvy dog who steps through these doors and into a Polynesian paradise that time forgot."

The Waikiki Tiki Room opened in 2019.

The build-out is very colorful with huge 1950s Hawaiian greeting card inspired mural wall graphics, plenty of tropical foliage wallpaper, reed matting on the ceilings, and an assortment of fish floats and basket style pendant lights hanging from the rafters.

The interior is light on actual tikis, however, with only a small tiki carving on the bar top and a couple of tiki masks on the back bar...

The emphasis is on their robust craft cocktail program, however, which appears to be on point and has drawn rave reviews with a respect for tiki classic cocktails and with an assortment of newer craft cocktails in rotation.

Doc's Place was located in the Town & Country Restaurant in the Westminster Hotel at Mutual and Gould streets.

The Town & Country is long remembered as being one of the most popular smorgasbords in town but few images or reports of Doc's Place remain.

The bar's theme was somewhat mixed with elements of Polynesian as well as African.

Doc's had a very colorful menu with several classic tiki cocktails featured.

They also produced their own mugs which were made in Japan and thinly veiled copies of the owner's favorite mugs from other successful tiki bars of the time, including a Cobra's Fang mug like the ones made for the Los Angeles Islander and a Voodoo Grog mug like the ones used at Trader Vic's.

Formerly known as Hatch Bar & Eatery, local restaurateur Leonard Chan and partner Dominic Iapello went from a light beach vibe to full-Tiki, starting with the re-opening of their restaurant in December 2018.

They added 35 Tiki cocktails on the expanded cocktail menu and the rum selection grew to 70+ bottles.

Food-wise, some favorites like the Loco Moco remained, with some new Polynesian-inspired additions including a tempura-battered Spam Musubi and Chinese-five spice chicken wings. The kitchen could also accommodate gluten-free and vegan preferences – the Impossible Burger was another newer option.

Stowaway was tucked behind Blacksteel Barbershop.

Stowaway announced that Saturday, November 5th, 2022 would be its last day open at this location.

*They re-opened with a sneak preview on May 16th, 2023 at their new location -- 14401 Newport Ave, Tustin, CA, United States.

Zamboanga was a pre-tiki restaurant/bar/nightclub opened in the 1930s by Joe Chastek who was one of the very first to open a tropics themed location.

It billed itself as "Home of the Tailless Monkeys" and featured a cheeky pipe smoking monkey on its menu and other advertising materials.

Among its other pieces of decor, it featured a Frank Bowers wall mural.

"Tailless Monkeys" may have been a derogatory term for Filipinos coined during the Philippine Insurrection circa 1900. There is some debate about this. You will hear John Wayne sing this in the movie "They Were Expendable" (1945).

As of 2020, this location appears to be home to a Dollar General Store.

Originally called just the "Hula Hut" when it opened 10/30/1936. This pre-Tiki south seas inspired nightspot had little decor but plenty of music and dancing girls.

It modeled itself on the success of Bob Brooks and his 7 Seas nightclub in Hollywood.

Ken Young took over the Hula Hut circa 1940. As “Ken’s Hula Hut,” it lasted for about two years. The building was demolished in December 1965.

The site is now home, as of 2020, to the Beverly La Jolla Tower, a 6-story building with high-end office spaces for lease.

The Limbo opened softly in January of 2018.

They offered a menu of tiki cocktails, many of which gave a nod to Louisville as deep in the heart of bourbon country.

From their website:

"The Limbo is a performing arts venue disguised as a Tiki Bar. The Limbo aims to have live entertainment 7 nights a week, including live music, DJs, Burlesque, drag shows, variety acts, magicians, spoken word, string quartets, and karaoke. Supporting artists and the performing arts while being an all inclusive venue where everyone is welcome no matter their background, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The owner, Olivia Griffin, moved to Kentucky from San Francisco in 2014 and realized there was no tiki bar in Louisville. Having spent her 20’s experiencing the wonders of classic Bay Area tiki bars like Smuggler’s Cove, Forbidden Island, and Trader Sam’s, she has always sought out unique, themed bars in every city she has visited."

Closed October 29th, 2022.

Built in 1956. The Village of Hillburn is where the once well-known Motel & Restaurant on the Mountain operated and was regarded as a local landmark. It was designed by a prominent architect, Junzo Yoshimura, who modeled the facility after the famous Kyomizudera temple in Kyoto Japan. 

The site boasted 16 buildings, a restaurant, 101 rooms, a coffee shop, and cocktail lounge, as well as a clear view of Manhattan from 30 miles away. They offered banquet/conference facilities as well as dinner theater and ski season packages.

Somewhere in this 18-year-span from 1956-1974 with the original owners, they also ordered custom cocktail mugs and drink bowls from Otagiri with their signature menu cover's risqué Geisha Girl which is taken from a piece of period art housed at the Met:

*Kitagawa Utamaro (Japanese, 1753–1806). A Woman and a Cat, ca. 1793–94. Edo period (1615–1868), Japan. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929. 

They removed the cat from their graphic art because apparently exposed nipples were permitted but showing pussy was just too much!

Thomas Esposito took ownership of the property in 1974 and unsuccessfully ran it for three failing years with many different entertainment acts. Faced with defeat, he brainstormed a last ditch attempt to make it work financially. From September 1977 - January 1978, Esposito attempted to turn it into the first gay resort in the Northeast. This attempt failed and successive businesses took control of the property since then. However, many today in the LGBTQ+ community still remember this as a historic first.

Today, it is home to Mt. Fuji Steakhouse and has been since 1985 when they did a major remodel to add it to their chain.

The Kona Kove Lounge was housed within the Stardust Bowl recreation center. It is unclear when it was built or closed, but it was open as late as April of 1970 as there are ads from that time for live music at the venue.

This bar is also mentioned in James Teitlbaum's Tiki Road Trip as part of the Stardust Bowling Alley and in Sven Kirsten's The Book of Tiki on page 198.